Enhancing Arabic Language Education through Virtual Education: Validation of a Teaching Model in Iraqi Secondary Schools

Background: Virtual education has become essential in today's educational systems, particularly during global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how effective the virtual education model is in improving Arabic language teaching at the secondary school level in Iraq.Methods: This research employed a sequential mixed-methods design involving two phases: a Delphi study followed by a survey. The study was conducted over nine months in 2023 in Baghdad, Iraq. The Delphi phase aimed to establish consensus among 15 experts in virtual education, specifically focusing on Arabic language instruction, who were purposively selected in Baghdad, Iraq. For the survey phase, 368 participants were chosen using stratified random sampling techniques outlined in the Krejcie and Morgan table. The research utilized a researcher-developed questionnaire designed to assess the efficacy of the virtual education model in Arabic language teaching. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive content analysis, and a significance level (p-value) of 0.05 was applied to determine statistical significance. Statistical analyses were performed, including Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (EFA and CFA) using SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 23.Results: The results of EFA highlight three key factors influencing the implementation of virtual education: government initiatives aimed at advancing technology, the rising demand for flexible learning options due to political instability, and a global trend toward digitizing educational materials. The results of the CFA demonstrated acceptable factor loadings, all exceeding 0.3, with a chi-square/df ratio of 1.46, an Incremental Fit Index (IFI) of 0.90, a Comparative Fit Index (CFI) of 0.90, and a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of 0.0054, indicating a good model fit. Factor loadings for key dimensions ranged from 0.401 to 0.967 (p<0.001), confirming strong correlations between the variables and their respective dimensions.Conclusion: The findings provide insights into optimizing virtual education models tailored to Arabic language teaching, highlighting the influence of government initiatives, the demand for flexible learning options, and global trends in educational digitization. Also, the findings contribute to advancing knowledge on educational practices in Iraq and provide insights into optimizing virtual education models tailored to Arabic language learning contexts.